The present invention relates to a chimney damper, and more particularly, to a chimney damper which includes a locking mechanism which prevents the chimney damper from closing in the event of a chimney fire.
The prior art shows various chimney dampers for closing a chimney or flue when it is not in use. A prior patent which generally describes the chimney damper but without the current improvement is U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,869, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Most of the prior art chimney dampers include a cap and a biasing means to separate the cap from the chimney flue when the damper is open. In the event of a chimney fire, the extreme heat may cause the biasing means to fail. If the biasing means fails, the cap may partially or completely close. Some of the smoke emitted from the chimney fire may then be directed back down the chimney and into the building, causing smoke damage.